The desire to be powerful—to overcome fear—is embedded deep in the human soul. Made in our Creator’s image, we are gifted with power—the capacity to responsibly manage the earth and to creatively resolve personal issues.

Personal empowerment is like a flame. The embers of its fire must be fanned and kept ablaze. Like a seed, it must be nurtured if we would taste its satisfying fruit.

3 Turbo-Charging Actions That Empower

1. Tweak – “improve by making fine adjustments”

Personal empowerment rests on health, work-life balance and relationships. Without proper attention to these, our power to deal effectively with situations and people is compromised. The capacity to make transforming choices is not achieved by overhauling but by tweaking.

Small steps made consistently form new habits,

and new habits change old outcomes.

Instead of a crash diet to improve health, replace just one bad eating habit. A healthy lifestyle is exactly that, a style of living that is cultivated over time.

Similarly, just one “fine adjustment” to priorities at work (or at home) can dispel unnecessary stress.

3. Re-calibrate – “adjust points of reference to take external factors into account”

To maintain optimum power, goals, perspective and attitude must be re-evaluated regularly and re-calibrated as necessary. The standard by which progress is measured and the points of reference by which our course is charted must come under the scrutiny.

Does my standard truly reflect who I am becoming?

Do my points of reference keep me on track?

Goals—

Circumstances are designed to produce two outcomes.

(1) Experience which makes us wiser and stronger. Wiser—we don’t keep making the same mistakes because we learn from them. Stronger because we’ve been there, done that, so let’s move on to the next level.

(2) Clarity to see things as they really are. With distractions removed, we can see where we are heading and make the necessary adjustments to get there.

Jamaican reggae icon Jimmy Cliff says it well.

“I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.
It’s gonna be a bright , bright sunshiny day.”

Perspective—

Under the pressures of work and of personal responsibilities we easily lose sight of the bigger picture. At work, our engaging tasks demand intense focus while at home, children and spouse demand consuming attention.

Exhausted and frustrated, we blame our family for our less-than-satisfactory performance at work, and we blame our job for the hopelessly dysfunctional performance at home.

The discontent brewing within will destroy us if we don’t take external factors into account, and make some necessary adjustments in perspective. Empowerment comes with a broad, positive perspective of work and home.

“Oh, yes I can make it now the pain is gone.
All of the bad feelings have disappeared.
Here is that rainbow I’ve been praying for.
It’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day.”

Attitude—

Sometimes when we’re going through hell, the ONLY thing we can control is our attitude—the way we think or feel about the situation.

When conditions are dark and overwhelming is not the time to think about goals. In that state, positive perspective is overshadowed by the encroaching storm. And I can tell you, there will be times when the storm is a Category 5 Hurricane.

Our experience of Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, left us with a sober regard for one the most devastating forces of nature. There is absolutely nothing you can do but wait it out and pray!

We have since gone through personal situations that rank Category 5. It has taken several years to recover from one such devastation. (I still have mental, emotional and spiritual scars from it!)

You might be saying at this point, “Wow. I’m not so sure I can do all that personal empowerment stuff. If only there was an app.”

Well, there’s something even simpler and better than an app, and it’s already embedded in you.

“Say what?”

That’s right…simpler and better than an app…Your tongue!

The simplest, quickest and most effective way to tweak, retool and re-calibrate your life into turbocharge mode is to

(1) Speak positively about yourself as you acknowledge your strengths and weakness (which will in time also transform into strengths). Research shows that a person’s self-image is affected by the words used to talk about themselves.

(2) Use active words, especially about the future. Replace “I’m gonna try my best…” with “I will complete this task and I will do my best!”

(3) Most importantly, define your own space and your own identity with your own power words.

Failing in this, you relinquish personal power to others. They will clip your wings and confine you to a box, their box.

I urge you, don’t scratch in the dirt with the chickens. You were born to rise above the ordinary. Soar in the skies with the eagles. No limits!

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Have you heard the proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”? That pearl of wisdom was made by the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu around 500 B.C. The advice is simple, ‘Just take the first step, and you are on your way no matter how far away your destination may be.’

Life’s journey may seem difficult and tiresome. You may feel overwhelmed just thinking about it. So you decide to simply live one day at a time—enjoy life while you can!

Here are a few journeys taken by some. Note the final destination of each journey.

Going around in circles, always ending up where you started – Destination: Lost

Starting out with no idea where you are going – Destination: Nowhere

Trying real hard, not making it and then giving up instead of giving it one more shot – Destination: Failure

Doing the same thing over and over again and again expecting a different result each time – Destination: Insanity

Starting out with the end clearly in mind, feeling the thrill of the journey pulsating in each step, and becoming a better person with every experience whether it be a success or a failure – Destination: Success

So what’s involved in taking the first step?

I’m assuming, of course, that you’ve chosen the road to Success.

Smart choice.

Because while you were still in your mother’s womb, your hard-drive was programmed for success.

That’s why you feel so horrible when you fail at anything—you are wired for success!

Let me give you three tips on how to take the first step on your personal journey to success.

Decide exactly what you want in life.

You say, “I have no clue what I want!”

No problem,

Let me help you.

Imagine you could wave a magic wand and be, do, and have anything you wanted…

“I can think of a hundred things I’d like to be, do and have!” you say.

Perfect.

Make a list of 100 things. Write them down on a piece of paper.

Put your ‘100 List’ somewhere safe.

Every year or two or five take a look at your list.

You will be surprised to see how many things you can check off: ‘Been there/Done that!’

Make a plan.

“I’ve never planned anything in my life…I don’t know where to start,” you say.

No problem. Let me help you again.

If from your list you had to choose only one thingthat you would have to do for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

What would you have to do to excel at that one thing? I mean, to become one of the best in the world!

Also, what would you have to do to really enjoy–I mean really enjoy doing it?

Answer those three questions and you are well on your way to creating a plan for success!

By the way, you don’t have to be stuck on one thing.

Ask yourself,

‘If I could add one other thing to what I do for the rest of my life, what would it be?

What would I have to do to excel at it?

What would I need to know or do to really enjoy it?’

And now that you’re in the groove, you can work your way through the rest of you ‘100 List’.

Act like it is impossible for you to fail.

“What!” you say, “how do I do that?”

Once more, let me help you.

Imagine yourself enjoying the accomplishment of your goal.

Create a detailed mental picture of you enjoying your completed goal.

Feel the thrill.

Wallow in the emotion.

Feel the feeling!

Now, when you’ve got that picture clear in your head, when you’ve got those emotions stirring up some excitement inside you– start to think, talk, walk, act like your dream is already reality.

Call it swagger, if you like!

Just do it! Feel it! And then show some swag!

Start living with that sense of accomplishment, that self-confidence, that inspiration and motivation every day.

Don’t wait…live your dream today!

“What about all the mistakes I’m bound to make along the way?” you ask.

Mary Pickford, a former movie actress, has a good answer: “If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down.”

In other words, if you are willing to fail with no fear, make lots of mistakes with no shame, get up and keep trying, you will most certainly succeed!